New Princeton Study Reveals 4 Distinct Autism Subtypes

A revolutionary study from Princeton University has identified four biological subtypes of autism using data from over 5,000 children. This research could change how we understand, diagnose, and support autistic people.

I spent a few days breaking down this complex study to understand what it really means. The findings are fascinating: genetic programs become active at different times during development, which corresponds to when autism symptoms appear clinically.

The 4 subtypes:

• Social & Behavioral Challenges (37%)
• Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay (19%)
• Moderate Challenges (34%)
• Broadly Affected (10%)

This isn't about "fixing" autism - it's about understanding biological diversity to provide better support. The study suggests some autistic people have genetic effects that emerge after birth, which explains later diagnosis patterns.

I also address why this research strengthens genetic explanations for autism and doesn't support vaccine misinformation.

What are your thoughts? Do these subtypes resonate with your experience? I'd love to hear your perspectives - this affects all of us.

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Study published July 9th in Nature Genetics.

Link to original study: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2025/07/09/major-autism-study-uncovers-biologically-distinct-subtypes-paving-way-precision AND https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02224-z

Infographics: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_JZlULHK4__iR9qPU-5Dbvd9zZug9_eW/view?usp=sharing